"There is uncertainty in the Nairn County squad" - Alan Pollock
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ALAN Pollock admits there is a lot of uncertainty in the Nairn County squad as they try to find out if the playing squad will be kept in tact.
The upheaval at the club in recent weeks, with the departure of sponsors Narden and manager Les Fridge, has left a lot of things up in the air, with Pollock unsure where he will be next season.
At a supporters meeting last week, attended by five members of the Nairn County first team, interim chairman Donald Matheson said the club had the finances to cover wages for the next couple of months and that no ‘fire-sale’ was required. Beyond that, though, it would be uncertain given the lack of a main sponsor.
Former Clach midfielder Pollock would like to have his status clarified by the start of pre-season next week, given he is due to get married in three weeks, adding that he is willing to walk away if it helps the future of the club.
“We haven’t been given much information – we’re still trying to find out what’s happening. Players on decent money don’t know if they’re being sold or kept and it needs to get resolved. I don’t know if I should be sorting out a move or not,” he said.
“I’m happy at Nairn but if the club are unable to pay me or ask me to walk away to help the club, then I’m happy to do that.
“No-one saw it coming, so the other directors have been put in a situation they’ve never had to deal with before. They don’t really know what’s happening and they have to give it time.
“You don’t want to go back for pre-season and then be told they’re looking to off-load half of the team. I want the boys to be all together but no-one knows what’s going to happen.”
Brothers Peter and Michael Mackintosh, their father and chairman Peter snr, and main sponsors Narden formally ended their ties with the Wee County last week.
It is believed they handled the majority of contract negotiations, including Pollock’s, who signed a three-year extension in December last year.
He praises the Mackintoshes role in establishing Nairn County as a Highland League force, however is disappointed with the terms of their departure.
“It’s disappointing for me. When I re-signed we talked about pushing on next season and doing something. Them walking away puts things in perspective,” said the joiner.
“I would have thought they would take in a few boys and make plans to improve the team. I know they’d spoken to two or three players about coming in. Now they are gone, the chance to sign those boys is probably slim.
“We didn’t see it coming at all. When I got the text it was like ‘wow’. I just didn’t foresee it.
“It’s been very steady over the last six or seven years and we’ve made real progress under Peter and Michael. We have to give them credit for that.
“You never know, someone could come in and do the same.”
Pollock has experienced financial turmoil before – in his early playing days at Clach, the club went into administration and was only saved by a cash injection from The Orion Group. However, similarities between the two scenarios are few.
“Everyone was in that together, no-one left and we stuck it out. No-one was on really good money. We ended up doing really well and finished fourth one season,” added Pollock.
“It’s a totally different scenario here because of the money situation.
“At Nairn, you’ve heard stories about people on big wages. At Clach we didn’t have that.
“I would imagine the problem is the club has to deal with it now, rather than the sponsors, that’s why no-one knows what’s happening.”
